Table of contents for #83 in ClayCraft

First of all, Happy New Year! Christmas is a funny time of year, and it reminds me of the pilot’s adage that flying is hours of boredom punctuated by minutes of terror. There are weeks of frantic festive planning and cooking, followed by a weird period of limbo where the days all blend together and time becomes somehow slower. I’m not complaining; this is the only time in the year when I can switch everything off and have a proper break. I hope you managed to do the same. I’m not a fan of making resolutions, though. I have enough on my plate without adding anything else to the pressure mix! I’ll only get cross with myself and feel guilty when I inevitably fail to maintain whatever it was. I…

In March 2023, I visited the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts in Cincinnati, Ohio. I also had the opportunity to visit Columbus, the capital of Ohio and home to the American Ceramic Society. Ohio was once the centre of pottery manufacturing in the USA. There were many factories making tableware and also companies mixing clay, such as the Columbus Clay Company. Edward Orton Jr was a ceramic engineer who developed a series of pyrometric cones for measuring the heat inside kilns and established the Standard Pyrometric Cone Company, which still makes cones and provides thermal testing services for the industry. We visited the Edward Orton Jr Ceramic Foundation to discover how cones are made. We were given a guided tour of the factory and testing facilities, and…

DIFFICULTY RATING YOU WILL NEED: ■ Red earthenware or stoneware clay■ Rolling pin, 10mm thick roller guides, plastic sheet■ Sling – (see ‘Before you begin’)■ General tools and ribs, including suitable tools for carving – loop tools work well■ White slip or underglaze■ Transparent glaze BEFORE YOU BEGIN: We have used a sling to form the vessel sides for this project, which has been specially made from a large wooden frame to which a canvas has been loosely pinned. If you don’t have or want to make one of these, a great alternative is to tie an old piece of cloth to the legs of an upturned chair. An old sheet works wonderfully, and the beauty of this option is you don’t have to find a home for the frame…

We survived and thrived in 2023, and this is a chance to look back and see how far we came. Although we’ve been a pottery studio since 2018, last year was the very first time that we’ve had a clear run as a small business. We were a co-operative venture to begin with, focusing on making for ourselves rather than offering classes. Then, the pandemic hit, which turned everything upside down. Then, we had a major upheaval where we transitioned from co-op to private business, so this year is the first where we’ve been able to concentrate solely on how we want the studio to develop. Right from the beginning of the year, we took on a whole new team of class leaders, and they have been instrumental in raising…

PROJECT FOUR DIFFICULTY RATING You will need: ■ Smooth clay type – earthenware or stoneware, preferably white ■ General tools and ribs ■ Mini extruder (alternative suggested later if you don’t have one of these) ■ An underglaze colour ■ Brushes for applying u/g and glaze ■ Transparent or white glaze. ■ Wire for attaching the parts and hanging ■ Short length of dowel ■ Cutting tool for the wire 1 Begin by forming a ball of clay sufficient to sit in the palm of your hand. 2 Press the thumb of your other hand into the centre of the ball until you can feel some pressure in your palm. 3 Lift the ball into the position shown and begin to pinch the base between your fingers and thumb until…

DIFFICULTY RATING You will need: ■ 900g (2lb) clay – earthenware or stoneware■ Tools for throwing – water bowl, sponge, cutting wire, rib■ Turning tools of choice■ Hole-making tool■ Glaze of choice – to fit clay type Before you begin: This form is best thrown on a batt unless you’re really confident about lifting work off the wheel head. If you don’t have a quick-fit mechanism for your wheel, you will need to throw a pad for the batt A note to prevent wordy repetition Always compress the clay at the rim after each lift – pinch the rim gently between your fingers and thumb, at the same time resting the forefinger of your other hand on the rim and applying gentle pressure 1 If you don’t have a quick-fit…

Thoughts of a potter My studio is situated in the beautiful Vale of Ffestiniog. I hand build with slabs, extrusions and coils, only occasionally using a wheel to finish the top of a pot. I am inspired by the amazing scenery of Yr Eryri (Snowdonia). The day usually starts with choosing one of the several potters’ espresso mugs for a double espresso to get me going. Then, breakfast and a walk with our Welsh sheepdog in the woods above Tan y Bwlch. I can mull over what to make and be inspired by the colours and textures of the mountains. The area is rich in iron, copper, lead and manganese. These metals leach into the surfaces of the slate and rocks. And when the autumn comes there are rich browns…

Welcome to Lego World Corsock. It’s the day after Boxing Day; the house is full of joviality, the aroma of home cooking, and more Lego than we can really cope with! It’s quite difficult to concentrate on writing this, with the Lego Express clattering around my feet on its track, dabbed with a curious paw, each time it passes a bemused Gilbert the cat, so I’ve had to sneak away from the family fun, to tell you what’s been occurring here in recent weeks. I hope everyone has had a wonderful Christmastime; I know it can be a difficult time for some. There has been much joy here. Pippin and Fred have been so excited, not just about the treasures Santa brought them but also because their big brother Luke…